Ministers okay bill halting pardons for murder convicts

If passed into law, measure could hamstring ability to offer prisoner releases as leverage in peace talks

Demonstrators, some of them relatives of Israelis killed by Palestinians, protest against the upcoming Palestinian prisoner release near the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem on December 28, 2013. The placard showing a drawing of Benjamin Netanyahu says in Hebrew: "Not a leader, [a] liar." (Photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Newsroom

Related Topics

A committee of government ministers okayed a bill Sunday that would make it impossible to free prisoners who have been sentenced to a life in prison, targeting Israel’s practice of freeing prisoners in peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

Seven ministers from Likud, Yisrael Beytenu and Jewish Home voted in favor of the measure, while Health Minister Yael German and Science Minister Yaakov Peri, both of Yesh Atid, and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (Hatnua) opposed it during a meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.

The green light means the bill will receive coalition backing, clearing a key hurdle on the way to becoming to a law.

The bill, put forward by Jewish Home MK Ayelet Shaked and Hatnua MK David Tzur, will go next to the Knesset for a first reading, and if it is signed into law, the president will no longer have the ability to pardon convicted criminals who have been sentenced by a judge to a life sentence without parole.

If passed, the measure would hamstring leaders from being able to offer prisoner releases in exchange for political concessions in talks with Palestinians, although it would only apply to a minority of jailed terrorists.

It is not yet clear whether the law applies only to murderers sentenced after the law passes or also to those convicted in the past.

Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, who is the head of the Jewish Home party and has gone as far as threatening to quit the government over recent prisoner releases, hailed the bill’s passage.

“The State of Israel has opened a new chapter in the war against terror and in its moral obligation to bereaved families,” he said. “Years of extortion and wholesale releases of terrorists will stop with the passage of this bill in the Knesset. I congratulate the ministers on their support of the law. The Jewish Home will work in the coming session to pass the bill [into law quickly and without delay].”

Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar (Likud), who voted in favor of the bill, said the measure was long overdue and noted that the bill was about more than just preventing the government from releasing terrorists in negotiations.

“The Shamgar Committee already recommended this in the past,” he said. “This bill does not just apply to terrorists, but to all premeditated murderers. In my opinion, murderers of children also shouldn’t be released.”

“In a country that does not have the death penalty, the importance of a life imprisonment sentence is paramount, and this will also facilitate decision-makers in the future.”

On the other side of the aisle, opposition MK Michal Rozin (Meretz) lambasted the passage of the bill as hypocrisy.

“This is a real farce,” she said. “The prime minister who released dozens of terrorists in various deals, who was the head of the government that chose to release terrorists rather than [freeze settlement construction] now supports a law to prevent the release of terrorists. More proof, one of many, of the inconsistencies and political fickleness of our prime minister.”

The release of convicted murderers became one of the most divisive issues within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition over the past year after he agreed to release over 100 prisoners at the outset of the most recent round of peace talks with the Palestinians.

Nearly 80 prisoners were released over the nine months of negotiations with the Palestinians, including many who had murdered Israelis in attacks over 20 years ago. Numerous right-wing ministers and MKs threatened to quit their posts and withdraw their party from the government ahead of slated fourth and final prisoner release, which Palestinians were demanding include Israeli-Arab terrorists.

Netanyhau relented to the pressure and delayed the final round indefinitely, demanding that the Palestinians first agree to extend the peace talks past the end of April deadline.

The talks eventually broke down completely after a series of unilateral moves by both sides that culminated in a unity deal between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist organization and refuses to negotiate with.

To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.

By signing up, you agree to our
terms
You hereby accept The Times of Israel Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and you agree to receive the latest news & offers from The Times of Israel and its partners or ad sponsors.